Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has pledged a sweeping overhaul of Ghana’s diplomatic missions following mounting criticism over poor service, unresponsiveness, and what he described as “discourteous conduct” at some embassies and consulates abroad.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Facebook yesterday, Tuesday, 10 June 2025, Ablakwa acknowledged the growing dissatisfaction expressed by Ghanaians living overseas, including recent public commentary from academic and former diplomat, Professor Kojo Dei, whose account of poor treatment at two missions has sparked fresh debate.
“I read with considerable outrage Prof. Kojo Dei’s article,” the Minister said. “Such condemnable conduct won’t be allowed on my watch.”
While praising several missions for upholding “excellence, consular empathy and high professionalism,” the Foreign Minister did not mince words about others that, in his view, “have clearly not impressed with their many years of poor service.”
Ablakwa, who assumed office under the Mahama administration, said the troubling state of affairs predates his tenure. However, he accepted full responsibility and announced a six-point plan to reset service standards at Ghana’s diplomatic posts—aligning with President Mahama’s broader RESET Agenda.
Among the interventions are a new code of conduct outlining expected treatment of all individuals engaging with Ghana’s diplomatic missions; reconfigured phone systems to allow for multiple simultaneous calls and routine recording and review of official calls to measure service quality;
There will also be Real-time monitoring mechanisms with telecom partners to ensure calls are being answered; Key performance indicators (KPIs) on responsiveness for newly appointed Ambassadors and High Commissioners, and Sanctions for officials who fail to meet professional or ethical standards.
Using the Ghana Embassy in Washington DC as a test case, the Minister said notable reforms are already in motion, adding the entrenched corruption at the mission has been “surgically uprooted,” and visa processing efficiency has improved significantly.
“Since the reopening, a total of 2,943 visas have been issued,” he revealed. “I have personally supervised operations there to ensure the backlog is cleared.”
Ablakwa further confirmed that the new diplomatic team in Washington has been instructed to implement the government’s newly outlined public engagement and accountability policies without delay.
The Foreign Minister called on the public to support the transformation agenda, announcing the government’s commitment to transparency and service integrity.
“We are committed to a new era of accountable public service with uncompromisingly high standards of professionalism, transparency and patriotism,” he said.
He added that the reforms aim to redeem Ghana’s image abroad, protect citizens from exploitation, and rebuild trust in consular services.
